Rodent trap

Abstract

A trap for catching rodents and other pests in permitting the user to selectively trap the same alive or dispose of them at the time of trapping. A container is provided having bottom and side walls and defining an opening at the upper portion thereof. A closure number is pivotally supported by a wall portions of the enclosure and is pivotal, responsive to the weight of a rodent or pest, causing the same to fall into the enclosure. The enclosure may contain water or any other material suitable for eratication. The closure structure defines a bait containing depression in which a protein containing bait such as grain may be placed to lure rodents onto the closure. The closure is urged to its substantially horizontal, closed position by a counterweight or other urging device mounted on the closure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A trap for catching rodents and other pests and permitting the user to selectively trap the same alive or eradicate them, comprising: (a) container means having an opening at the upper portion thereof, said container means defining closure support means and forming pivot bushing means;   (b) closure means of generally plate-like form and defining an upwardly opening depression movably engaging said closure support means and being normally generally horizontally positioned in closing relation with said opening of said container means, said closure means having pivot means establishing pivotal engagement with said pivot bushing means, said closure means being movable to an open position responsive to the weight of said rodent or pest, causing said rodent or pest to fall into said container means;   (c) said closure means forms depending wall structure forming said upwardly opening depression for containing bait and being positioned to lure said rodent or pest onto said closure means said depending wall structure forming a weight containing receptacle; and   (d) a weight member being retained within said weight containing receptacle and being operative to urge said closure to the closed position thereof.   
     
     
       2. A trap as recited in claim 1 wherein: (a) said depending wall structure is of downwardly converging tapered form;   (b) said weight member containing receptacle is of generally spherical form and defines a circular restricted opening; and   (c) said weight member is of spherical form having a dimension slightly exceeding that of said circular restricted opening, the material of said depending wall structure being resilient and yielding to permit forcible entry of said weight into said weight containing receptacle and retaining said weight against inadvertent displacement from said weight containing receptacle.   
     
     
       3. Rodent capturing means for movable assembly with a rodent trap enclosure having bottom and side walls and forming an opening at the upper portion thereof and support means near said opening, said rodent capturing means comprising: (a) pivot means for pivotal engagement with said support means;   (b) closure wall means being connected to said pivot means and being pivotally movable from a generally horizontal closed position extending across said opening to an inclined open position with respect to the horizontal, said closure wall means being pivotally movable to said inclined position responsive to the weight of a rodent thereon, allowing the rodent to fall into said trap enclosure for capture;   (c) said closure wall means defining depending wall means forming an upwardly opening depression for containing bait for attracting rodents and causing them to step onto said wall means, said depending wall means forming a weight containing receptacle at the lower portion thereof; and   (d) a weight member being retained within said weight containing receptacle and being operative to urge said closure to said horizontal closed position thereof.   
     
     
       4. Rodent capturing means as recited in claim 3 wherein: (a) said depending wall structure is of downwardly converging tapered form;   (b) said weight containing receptacle is of generally spherical form and defines a circular restricted opening; and   (c) said weight means is of spherical form having a dimension slightly exceeding that of said circular restricted opening, the material of said depending wall structure being resilient and yielding to permit forcible entry of said weight means into said weight containing receptacle and retaining said weight means against inadvertent displacement from said weight containing receptacle.   
     
     
       5. Rodent capturing means as recited in claim 4 wherein: said closure wall means is of generally planar form and defines circumferential flange means depending downwardly therefrom, said pivot means and said closure wall means are of integral construction.   
     
     
       6. Rodent capturing means as recited in claim 5 wherein: said weight means is supported by said depending wall means in off-set relation with the axis defined by said pivot means.   
     
     
       7. Rodent capturing means as recited in claim 3 wherein: said closure wall means is of generally plate-like form and is substantially horizontally disposed at the closed portion thereof, said bait containing means of said closure means being wall structure extending downward from the central portion of said closure wall means and defining an upwardly directed receptacle for containing bait suitable for attraction of rodents thereto.   
     
     
       8. In a rodent trap having a receptacle forming an upwardly directed opening, the improvement comprising: (a) pivot opening means being defined by said receptacle;   (b) a closure wall member having opposed pivot elements receivable in pivotal relation with said pivot opening means, said closure wall member being normally disposed in generally horizontal position and being pivotal to an inclined position responsive to the weight of a rodent or pest on said closure wall member; and   (c) a weight member formed integrally with said closure wall member and depending from the central portion of said closure wall member, said weight member urging said closure wall member to said substantially horizontal position, at the juncture of said weight member with said closure wall member said weight member and said closure wall member defining an upwardly diverging bait depression centrally of said closure wall member for containing bait to attract rodents or pests to said closure wall member.